Stanley's Recovery
by ELM22
Summary: This is based in the first part of the series after Daniel turns in the family of scientists that his family was hiding and the Bernstein's are arrested, Stanley is tortured, then they are released. Any mistakes are my own and I own nothing but those.


Stanly's Recovery

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or story line.

Description: For any one familiar with V the mini series this is a short piece about what Stanly and Lynn Bernstein went through after they were returned home after their detainment by the Visitors and Stanly's torture.

Tags: V the Miniseries

Rating: T

Stanley Bernstein sat on the couch in his living room. His wife had insisted on light colors. White walls, light cream carpets, even white furniture. The sun had set long ago and the light from the lamp beside him filled the room. His right arm lay, cradled on his lap. It was bandaged from the knuckles on his hand almost to the elbow in thick white bandages. He sat, staring into nothingness. Images flashed in his head. He saw the Visitor with the long, black, curly hair. The one he had heard them call Diana. She stood over him in the small room where he sat, restrained in the high back metal chair. In her hand she held a small, square box. Fire shot out of it in a steady stream. She touched it to the skin of his right arm. The burning pain went straight to his bone. He screamed at the burning pain and smelled the burning flesh on his forearm. She smiled down at him, gaining obvious pleasure at the suffering she caused.

"Stanley?" Spoke a familiar voice.

He looked to his right. His wife, Lynn, sat down next to him and put her hand on his upper arm.

"Stanley, it's time to change your bandage and go to bed."

He looked at her blankly. The haunted look on his face broke her heart and tears welled in her eyes. He raised his right hand to her face and wiped the tears away. She gently took his hand and laid her face in his bandage wrapped palm. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

"It will be all right." He said softly.

Stanley sat in the folding chair that Lynn had put in the bathroom for him. He watched as she cut the tape and gently unwrapped the bandage. As it came down to the final layers he could begin to see the ugliness of the wound and when she removed the final layer he grimaced at the at the horrific sight of his own flesh and turned away. Lynn gently sponged it with warm, soapy water. She rinsed it and patted it dry with the towel. She carefully dabbed antibiotic ointment on his wound and wrapped it in fresh bandage.

Stanley sat on the edge of the bed. He no longer felt like bothering with his pajamas and wore only his boxer shorts and white tee shirt. He stare at the floor between his feet. The droning color of the carpet reminded him of the color of the cell that he was thrown into when Diana was finished with her "conversion process." He was half conscious from the pain as the two guards dragged him through the corridors. He heard the rush of air as the door swished open and the guards pushed him inside. He cried out as he landed on his wounded arm. At once he felt the familiar hands of Lynn grasping him and rolling him over. His upper body lay across her lap and his head rested in the crook of her arm. Tears, caused by the intense pain, began to silently roll down the sides of his face. Lynn sobbed gently as she looked at her husbands' horrific wound.

"Stan?"

He looked up to see her standing in front of him, concern showing on her face and in her eyes. In one hand she held a glass of water and in the other hand two small, white pills. She passed him the pills and he took them from her. He stared at them. She couldn't remember ever seeing such a tired and worn look on her husbands face. She knew he missed his father. She missed Abraham too. She missed the silly jokes that he used to tell and the outrageous rumors or pieces of neighborhood gossip that he would share at the supper table. He could always make them laugh. Oh, how she could use some of that laughter now. They both could. She was brought back from her reverie at the feel of Stanly's hand on her own. She looked at him as he gently pulled her down onto the bed beside him. He washed down the pills with the water she had brought him and set the glass on the night stand. He put his good arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"I love you, Stanley." She whispered.

"I love you too." He kissed the top of her head.

She helped him lay back in the bed and pulled the covers over him. She walked back over to the door and shut off the light switch before climbing into bed next to Stanley. He rested his injured arm on his stomach and put his good arm under Lynn's head. She was thankful for the comforting gesture and cuddled up to his side. The silvery moonlight shined through the crack in the curtain and washed over them. As they lay there in silence Stanley began to softly hum to himself. She recognized the tune almost immediately, although it had been some time since she had heard it last. It was a Jewish lullaby that Stanley used to sing to their son, Daniel, when he was little. Stanley had told her that his father used to sing it to him. Tears welled in her eyes again as she lay there and quietly listened to Stanly's soft, sweet song. The thought occurred to her that perhaps this was the beginning of Stanley's forgiving Daniel for turning them in to the Visitors for hiding the scientists. The event that caused Stanley to be tortured. If so, she hoped she could find a little of Stanley's strength and forgive her son.

She awoke later that night to an unfamiliar sound. Stanly's head tossed back and forth on the pillow and a groan escaped from him. She rolled over to face him and gently shook his shoulder.

"Stanley." She shook him again. "Stanley, wake up."

He startled awake and snapped his head around to look at her. His eyes were wide with fear.

"You were having a bad dream, but it's alright. You're safe."

He was lay his back down on the pillow and waited for his breathing to slow.

"It's alright. You're safe." She repeated as she caressed his face.

His eyelids became heavey again and for a few brief moment he fought to keep them open, but gave up and fell back to sleep. His face went slack except for the worry lines that had grown there. For another few moments she watched him before laying her own head back down and letting slumber overtake her as well.


End file.
